About Yehuda ben Betzalel Loew [Maharal of Prague] המהר״ל מפראג

The Maharal of Prague was a towering giant in Torah and Kabbalah and a fearless leader of European Jewry during the sixteenth century.

Within the world of Torah and Talmudic scholarship, he is known for his works on Jewish philosophy and Jewish mysticism and his work Gur Aryeh al HaTorah, a supercommentary on Rashi's Torah commentary.

The Maharal is particularly known for the legend that he created The Golem of Prague, an animate being fashioned from clay, using mystical powers based on the esoteric knowledge of how God created Adam. This legend, which first appeared in print nearly 200 years after the Maharal's death, states he created the golem to defend the Jews of the Prague Ghetto from antisemitic attacks; particularly blood libels emanating from certain prejudiced quarters. See the silent movie "Der Golem (1920)", by Paul Webbner & Carl Boese.

Rabbi Loew is buried at the Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague in Josefov, where his grave and intact tombstone can still be visited.

The Maharal was probably born in Poznań (now in Poland), to Rabbi Betzalel (Loew), whose family originated from the German town of Worms. His birth year is uncertain, with different sources listing the eve of Passover Seder 1512 in Poznan, Poland (or 1520? or 1526? and birthplace Worms or Prague). His uncle Jacob was Reichsrabbiner ("Rabbi of the Empire") of the Holy Roman Empire, his brother Chaim of Friedberg a famous rabbinical scholar. Traditionally it is believed that the Maharal's family descended from the Babylonian Exilarchs (during the era of the Geonim) and therefore also from the Davidic dynasty. He received his formal education in various yeshivas (Talmudical schools), other sources claim that he was an "autodidact" and all his studies were of his own and not in any Yeshiva.

One biography of Maharal - ויקיגניה - claims that the Maharal was married twice. His first wife was the daughter of Rabbi Abraham Haiut, and Lea & Feigele were daughters of this marriage. Most other biography versions of Maharal do not mention the first marriage and named Pearl as the mother of all Maharal's children, including Lea and Feigele (see below).

The Maharal married at the "late" age of 32 (1544) to Pearl, of a wealthy family. He had six girls and one boy who was named after the Maharal's father, Betzalel.

He was independently wealthy, probably as a result of his father's successful business enterprises and his wife's generous dowry. He accepted a rabbinical position in 1553 as Landesrabbiner of Moravia at Mikulov (Nikolsburg), directing community affairs but also determining which tractate of the Talmud was to be studied in the communities in that province. He also revised the community statutes on the election and taxation process. Although he retired from Moravia in 1573 at age 60, the communities still considered him an authority long after that. In 1573 he moved to Prague, where he opened a yeshivah and became mentor of many outstanding disciples. The most prominent among these is Rabbi Lipman Heller, author of Tosefot Yomtov on the Mishnah. Not being appointed Chief Rabbi of Prague in 1583, he moved to his birth town Poznen in Poland as Chief Rabbi for 4 years, then returned to Prague for 5 years, and In 1592 the Maharal accepted the position of Chief Rabbi of Poland in Poznen, returning to Prague in 1597 to serve as its Chief Rabbi till 1604.

He was a prolific writer, and his works include: Tiferet Yisrael on the greatness of Torah and mitzvot; Netivot Olam, on ethics; Be'er Hagolah, a commentary on rabbinic sayings; Netzach Yisrael, on exile and redemption; Or Chadash, on the book of Esther; Ner Mitzvah, on Chanukah; Gevurot Hashem, on the Exodus; and many others. The Maharal's works reveal his illustrious personality as a profound thinker who penetrates the mysteries of Creation and metaphysics, clothing kabbalistic themes in a philosophic garment. His unique approach to Jewish thought influenced the ideologies of Chassidism and Mussar.

The Maharal castigated the educational methods of his day where boys were taught at a very young age and insisted that children must be taught in accordance with their intellectual maturity. Thus, Talmud and certainly not tosafot should be introduced only when the child is developmentally capable of fully comprehending what is being taught. He recommended that the system proposed in Pirkei Avot be followed.

The Maharal was a staunch leader of his community, he became the hero of many legends in which he appears as the defender of Prague Jewry against all its enemies, assisted by a Golem, a robot he made and gave life to by placing sacred writings in his mouth.

The Maharal's company and advice was sought by kings and nobleman giving rise to many colorful legends.

The Maharal's synagogue, Altneu Schul, still exists today and is preserved as a shrine by the Prague municipal authorities, who in 1917 erected a statue in his honor.

In the Torah world the Maharal lives on in his writings, which are an enduring source of wisdom and inspiration.

The Maharal's father, Betzalel ben Haïm Loeb (Loew) was born about 1480. Unlike his young brother, stayed behind to help his father and did not pursue studies in Poland. Bezalel married the daughter of Rabbi Chaim Issemheimeror married daughter of Rabbi Yitzchak Klober of Worms. They had four sons and three daughters. The MAHARAL was the youngest. He served as Rabbi of Worms (ווירמיז).

Betzalel’s tombstone reads: ”his praise and merits can not be told and no man like him can be found”

Rabbi Judah Loew a 16th century scholar, is linked to the legend of the Golem. In Prague, Czech Republic an academic institute dedicated to the legendary 16th- Century Jewish scholar Rabbi Judah Loew, also known as the Maharal of Prague opened.

The Maharal Institute plans to educate future rabbis, introducing them to Talmud, Jewish law, ethics and mysticism as well as to Loew’s writings, said institute collaborator Tomas Jelinek. Rabbi Loew’s work has influenced generations of Jewish scholars but he has been best known for a legend according to which he had created the Golem, a man-like being with magic powers.

“People know him only as a Jewish magician,” Jelinek said of Loew. “We want to study the thoughts that had once originated in Prague, explore that Maharal again.”

The institute’s founding opens a year of events commemorating the 400th anniversary of Loew’s death in Prague in September 1609. His grave at the Old Town Cemetery is among the city’s chief tourist attractions.

Czech Republic - The 'Golem of Prague' Stamp Issued in Honor of The Maharal Published on: August 11, 2009, at 05:54 PM; News Source: Haaretz

Czech Republic - The post has issued a new stamp to mark 400 years since the death of Rabbi Yehuda Loew ben Bezalel, also known as the Maharal of Prague, who according to legend created a man out of clay.

The Maharal was an important rabbi in Prague in the 16th and early 17th centuries. He best known for the legend of the "Golem," in which he is said to have created from clay a living being that had superhuman powers and that was used to defend the Jews of the Prague Ghetto.

Still today, many believe that the body of the Golem is trapped in the attic of Prague's "Alt Noi Shul" synagogue.

The Maharal served as an admired teacher during a difficult time for Jews shortly after Spanish Inquisition, the Protestant reformation movement and other major social changes.

He is buried in the Jewish cemetery in the Prague old city, and his grave serves as a place of pilgrimage to many Jews every year.

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Neighboring Slovakia has also recently paid respect to its Jewish past, having issued a stamp to commemorate the Chasam Sofer, a leading rabbi in the capital Bratislava in the first half of the century.

Judah Loew ben Betzalel, alt. Loewe, Löwe, or Levai, (c. 1520 – 17 September 1609) widely known to scholars of Judaism as the Maharal of Prague, or simply The MaHaRaL, the Hebrew acronym of "Moreinu ha-Rav Loew," ("Our Teacher, Rabbi Loew") was an important Talmudic scholar, Jewish mystic, and philosopher who served as a leading rabbi in the city of Prague in Bohemia for most of his life.

Within the world of Torah and Talmudic scholarship, he is known for his works on Jewish philosophy and Jewish mysticism and his work Gur Aryeh al HaTorah, a supercommentary on Rashi's Torah commentary.

The Maharal is particularly known for the legend that he created The Golem of Prague, an animate being fashioned from clay, using mystical powers based on the esoteric knowledge of how God created Adam. This legend, which first appeared in print nearly 200 years after the Maharal's death, states he created the golem to defend the Jews of the Prague Ghetto from antisemitic attacks; particularly blood libels emanating from certain prejudiced quarters. There are no contemporary accounts of this occurring.

Rabbi Loew is buried at the Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague in Josefov, where his grave and intact tombstone can still be visited. His descendants' surnames include Loewy, Loeb, Lowy, Oppenheimer, Pfaelzer, and Keim.

The Maharal was probably born in Poznań (Poland, though Perels lists the birth town - mistakenly - as Worms, Germany) to Rabbi Bezalel (Loew), whose family originated from the German town of Worms. His birth year is uncertain, with different sources listing 1512, 1520 and 1526. His uncle Jacob was Reichsrabbiner ("Rabbi of the Empire") of the Holy Roman Empire, his brother Chaim of Friedberg a famous rabbinical scholar. Traditionally it is believed that the Maharal's family descended from the Babylonian Exilarchs (during the era of the geonim) and therefore also from the Davidic dynasty. He received his formal education in various yeshivas (Talmudical schools).

He was independently wealthy, probably as a result of his father's successful business enterprises. He accepted a rabbinical position in 1553 as Landesrabbiner of Moravia at Mikulov (Nikolsburg), directing community affairs but also determining which tractate of the Talmud was to be studied in the communities in that province. He also revised the community statutes on the election and taxation process. Although he retired from Moravia in 1588 at age 60, the communities still considered him an authority long after that.

One of his activities in Moravia was the rallying against slanderous slurs on legitimacy (Nadler) that were spread in the community against certain families and could ruin the finding of a marriage partner for the children of those families. This phenomenon even affected his own family. He used one of the two yearly grand sermons (between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur 1583) to denounce the phenomenon.

He moved back to Prague in 1588, where he again accepted a rabbinical position, replacing the retired Isaac Hayoth. He immediately reiterated his views on Nadler. On 23 February 1592, he had an audience with Emperor Rudolf II, which he attended together with his brother Sinai and his son-in-law Isaac Cohen; Prince Bertier was present with the emperor. The conversation seems to have been related to Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) a subject which held much fascination for the emperor.

In 1592, the Maharal moved to Poznań, where he had been elected as Chief Rabbi of Poland. In Poznań he composed Netivoth Olam and part of Derech Chaim (see below). Towards the end of his life he moved back to Prague, where he died in 1609. He is buried there; his tomb is a famous tourist attraction. A daughter of the Maharal, born c 1565, married Rabbi Zachariah Mendel Gelernter d ? Poznan.

His name "Löw" or "Loew", derived from the German Löwe, "lion" (cf. the Yiddish Leib of the same origin), is a kinnuy or substitute name for the Hebrew Judah or Yehuda, as this name - originally of the tribe of Judah - is traditionally associated with a lion. In the Book of Genesis, the patriarch Jacob refers to his son Judah as a Gur Aryeh, a "Young Lion" (Genesis 49:9) when blessing him. In Jewish naming tradition the Hebrew name and the substitute name are often combined as a pair, as in this case. The Maharal's classic work on the Rashi commentary of the Pentateuch is called the Gur Aryeh al HaTorah, in Hebrew: "Young Lion [commenting] upon the Torah".

It is unknown how many Talmudic rabbinical scholars the Maharal taught in Moravia, but the main disciples from the Prague period include Rabbis Yom Tov Lipmann Heller and David Ganz. The former promoted his teacher's program of regular Mishnah study by the masses, and composed his Tosefoth Yom Tov (a Mishnah commentary incorporated into almost all published editions of the Mishnah over the past few hundred years) with this goal in mind. David Ganz died young, but produced the work Tzemach David, a work of Jewish and general history, as well as writing on astronomy; both the MaHaRal and Ganz were in contact with Tycho Brahe, the famous astronomer.

Jewish philosophy

In the words of a modern writer, the Maharal "prevented the Balkanization of Jewish thought" (Rabbi Yitzchak Adlerstein 2000, citing Rabbi Nachman Bulman).

His works inspired the Polish branch of Hasidism, as well as a more recent wave of Torah scholars originating from Lithuania and Latvia, most markedly Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler (1892–1953) as well as Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook (1864–1935). A more recent authority who had roots in both traditions was Rabbi Isaac Hutner (1906–1980). Rabbi Hutner succinctly defined the ethos of the Maharal's teachings as being Nistar BeLashon Nigleh, meaning (in Hebrew): "The Hidden in the language of the Revealed". That is, the Maharal couched kabbalistic ideas in non-kabbalistic language. As a mark of his devotion to the ways of the Maharal, Rabbi Hutner bestowed the name of the Maharal's key work the Gur Aryeh upon a branch of the yeshiva he headed when he established its kollel (a yeshiva for post-graduate Talmud scholars) which then became a division of the Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin in New York during the 1950s, known as Kollel Gur Aryeh. Both of these institutions, and the graduates they produce, continue to emphasize the serious teachings of the Maharal. Rabbi Hutner in turn also maintained that Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808–1888) (Germany, 19th century) must also have been influenced by the Maharal's ideas basing his seemingly rationalistic Weltanschauung on the more abstract and abstruse teachings of the hard-to-understand Jewish Kabbalah.

Rabbi Judah Loew was not a champion of the open study of Kabbalah as such, and none of his works are in any way openly devoted to it. According to him, only the greatest of Torah scholars are able to discern his true original inspirations and the intellectual framework for his ideas in their complex entirety. Nevertheless, kabbalistic ideas permeate his writings in a rational and philosophic tone. His main kabbalistic influences appear to have been the Zohar, Sefer Yetzirah, and traditions of the Chassidei Ashkenaz, as Lurianic Kabbalah had not by that time reached Europe.

Although he could not reconcile himself to the investigations of Azariah di Rossi, he defused the tension between the Aggada (narrative, non-legal parts of the Talmud) and rationalism by his allegorical interpretations of difficult passages. He was entirely in favor of scientific research insofar as the latter did not contradict divine revelation, all the while insisting on finding deep meaning in all the contributions of Talmudic teachers.

DescendantsAmong his many descendants were Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Chabad Hasidism. Through him, he is the ancestor of many prominent later Jewish individuals, including Menachem Mendel Schneerson, seventh Rebbe of Lubavitch, and Yehudi Menuhin, the famous violinist.

Literature

The legend of his creation of a golem inspired Gustav Meyrink's 1915 novel Der Golem. Various other books have been inspired by this legend, the authenticity of which has been doubted; although the Golem motif is old, the connection between the Golem on the one hand and the Maharal and Prague on the other is known only from circa 1837 The famous story of the Golem of Prague created by the Maharal, which is usually considered to be a Jewish folk story from the 18th century at the latest, is considered by literary resercher Eli Eshed, who had published research on the subject in Hebrew ( http://www.notes.co.il/eshed/60482.asp), to be a later literary invention. According to Eshed , the story was created by Jewish German writer Berthold Auerbach for his 1837 novel Spinoza. Eshed suppose that the story of the Golem of Prague is the original creation of Auerbach which served as a "trigger " to almost immediate explosion in publication for various poems, stories, plays, novels and such and so created a false impression that it is an "ancient folk story" when in reality it was a completely modern invention by a well known writer . Maharal is featured in the book He, She and It and the Dutch work De Procedure ("The Procedure", Harry Mulisch, 1999), both retellings of the Golem legend. A poem by Jorge Luis Borges, entitled El Golem also tells the story of Judah Loew (Judá León) and his giving birth to the Golem. In that poem, Borges quotes the works of German Jewish philosopher Gershom Scholem. "The Maharal" by Yaakov Dovid Shulman (in English) questions if the stories about the golem are true. Even a Caldecott Medal winner (Golem by David Wisniewski) mentions Loew as Rabbi Loew. The fictional book Iron Council by China Miéville has a character named Judah Low who creates golems. In Leo Perutz' historical novel Nachts unter der steinernen Brücke (By Night Under the Stone Bridge) Loew appears as a key figure.

Rabbi Loew (spelled as 'Low') is also a major character in Abraham Rothberg's 1970 "The Sword of the Golem." Rabbi Loew and his descendants figure prominently in 2002's "Sword of The Golem" and 2004's "The Council of Eleven: Shall We Not Revenge" both by Jeff Minde and Ken Tucker.

The Golem of Prague is a major plot device in Michael Chabon's 2000 The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.

Tif'ereth Yisrael ("The Glory of Israel"), philosophical exposition on the Torah, intended for the holiday of Shavuot

Gevuroth Hashem ("God's Might[y Acts]"), for the holiday of Passover

Netzach Yisrael ("The Eternity of Israel"; Netzach "eternity", has the same root as the word for victory), on Tisha B'Av (an annual day of mourning about the destruction of the Temples and the Jewish exile) and the final deliverance

Ner Mitzvah ("The Candle of the Commandment"), on Hanukkah

Or Chadash ("A New Light"), on Purim

Derech Chaim ("Way of Life"), a commentary on the Mishnah tractate Avoth

Be'er ha-Golah ("The Well of the Diaspora"), an explanatory work on the Talmudic and Midrashic *Aggadah, mainly responding to interpretations by the Italian scholar Azariah di Rossi (min ha-Adumim)

Chiddushei Aggadot ("Novellae on the Aggada", the narrative portions of the Talmud), discovered in the 20th century

Derashot (collected "Sermons")

Divrei Negidim ("Words of Rectors"), a commentary on the Seder of Pesach, published by a descendant

Chiddushei al Ha-Shas, a commentary on Talmud, recently published for the first time from a manuscript by Machon Yerushalyim on Bava Metzia, others may be forthcoming.

Various other works, such as his responsa and works on the Jewish Sabbath and the holidays of Sukkot, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, have not been preserved.

His works on the holidays bear titles that were inspired by the Biblical verse in I Chronicles 29:11: "Yours, O Lord, are the greatness, and the might, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and on the earth [is Yours]; Yours is the kingdom and [You are He] Who is exalted over everything as the Leader." The book of "greatness" (gedula) on the Sabbath was not preserved, but the book of "power" (gevurah) is Gevurath Hashem, the book of glory is Tif'ereth Yisrael, and the book of "eternity" or "victory" (netzach) is Netzach Yisrael.

The LOEB (a.k.a. LÖEW/LÖEWE/LÖW/LIEB/LIV/LIVA/LIWA/LIWAI). Note: 2006 Maharal's ancestry under review see: www.davidicdynasty.org, Descendants, Rabbi Meir Perels' of Prague error in the date of death of Yehudah Leib the Elder (below) does not necessarily eliminate the possibility that the Maharal descended from King David, in some way other than through the so-called Yehudah Leib the Elder. Many indicators point to a tradition of descent from Rabbi Yehudah Hanassi, of the House of Hillel, who descended from King David’s son Shefatiah, and not through Hai Gaon who was descended from King Solomon. Unfortunately the names of the Maharal’s ancestors between his grandfather Chaim of Worms and Rabbi Yehudah Hanassi are not recorded in any known source .."

R' Bezalel (Hazaken) ben Yehuda

New research on the grave in Prague states the year to be 1539 and not 1439, as previously documented by Rabbi Meir Perels. Yehudah was known as: "Liva The Elder of Prague" and was the head of a Yeshiva in Worms. According to some manuscripts, Yehuda Lev Hazaken is the son of Isaac son of Bezalel Hazaken and the death year on Yehudah Lieb/Liva in Prague is actually 1539

Tzvi Saba son of Yosef Yoshke, Av Beit Din of Lublin, grandson of the great eagle, the absolute Gaon, head of the Exile, marana[xxvii] Liva son of Betzalel, of blessed and holy memory, known by the name Maharal from Prague. And his lineage is from the holy Tanna Reb Yehudah Hanassi as explained in the books Arkhei Hakinuim, Marot Tzovot.

2006 Maharal's ancestry under review see: www.davidicdynasty.org, Descendants, Experts say: "..Rabbi Meir Perels' of Prague error in the date of death of Yehudah Leib the Elder (below) does not necessarily eliminate the possibility that the Maharal descended from King David, in some way other than through the so-called Yehudah Leib the Elder. Many indicators point to a tradition of descent from Rabbi Yehudah Hanassi, of the House of Hillel, who descended from King David’s son Shefatiah, and not through Hai Gaon who was descended from King Solomon. Unfortunately the names of the Maharal’s ancestors between his grandfather Chaim of Worms and Rabbi Yehudah Hanassi are not recorded in any known source .."

Judah Lew ben Bezalel ("Judah Loew son of Bezalel", also written as Yehudah ben Bezalel Levai [or Loew, Löw], 1525 – 17 September 1609 or 18 Elul 5369 according to the Hebrew calendar) [citation needed] was an important Talmudic scholar, Jewish mystic, and philosopher who served as a leading rabbi in Prague (now in the Czech Republic) for most of his life.

He is widely known to scholars of Judaism as the Maharal of Prague, or simply as the Maharal (מהר"ל - MaHaRaL is the Hebrew acronym of Moreinu ha-Rav Loew, "Our Teacher the Rabbi Loew"). His descendants' surnames include Loewy and Lowy.

Within the world of Torah and Talmudic scholarship, he is known for his works on Jewish philosophy and Jewish mysticism and his supercommentary on Rashi's Torah commentary known as Gur Aryeh al HaTorah.

The Maharal is particularly known for the story about the golem, which he supposedly created using mystical magical powers based on the esoteric knowledge of how God created Adam.

According to the legend, he did this to defend the Jews of the Prague Ghetto from antisemitic attacks against them; particularly false blood libels emanating from certain prejudiced quarters.

Redundant recently duplicated profile/tree with absolutely no added info. Should not have been created in the first place. Futile work and waste of time for all involved. Best be removed.